Yesterday, Monday, the Jordanian House of Representatives approved the amendment of Article 40 of the constitution to expand the powers of the king, as part of a project to develop the kingdom's constitution.
The amendments give the King of Jordan the power to appoint the Director of Public Security, the Chief Justice, the head of the Sharia Judicial Council, the General Mufti, the head of the royal court, the minister of court, and the king’s advisors, as well as the power to accept their resignations without referring to the government.
For his part, Jordanian Prime Minister Bishr Al-Khasawneh said that the amendments establish a political project to reach the stage of forming parliamentary governments, as he put it.
Work continues in the House of Representatives to complete the draft amendment to the constitution according to the recommendations of a committee formed last June by a royal order with the aim of modernizing the political system. The amendments include about 30 articles.
Among the most prominent proposed amendments are the establishment of a National Security Council and the election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives for one year instead of two years, and granting members of the Council the right to relieve the Speaker in the event of his inability to perform his duties.